The Emotional Power of Music
Most successful ad campaigns rely on establishing a strong emotional connection with the consumer.
Whether we like it or not, most of our decisions are impacted by deep-seated feelings, and music allows us to access them in a powerful way.
Advertisers caught on early to the power of music. There’s a reason Mad Men centred its stunning final episode around one of the most memorable ad campaigns of all time: “I’d like to buy the world a Coke.” That famous jingle was actually an original song, integrating new lyrics for branding purposes. It carried a message of unity and harmony that presented Coca-Cola as a benevolent brand promoting world peace and became a timeless staple.
Classics With a Twist
Whether it’s fun and bouncy or more sombre and reflective, a hit song can establish an immediate mood that can open a direct channel to the consumer.
But sometimes, you might want to shake things and subvert expectations. Asked about the more memorable campaigns he worked on, François Lachance, CEO of Music Rights Clearance, explains how a very famous song can be used in unusual ways. “We were involved in an ad for Toronto’s Sick Kids Foundation, and we suggested an acoustic cover of Guns N’ Roses Sweet Child O’ Mine. You immediately recognize it, but it taps into a completely different emotion than the original. It’s great when you have lyrics that are vague enough to be interpreted in different ways, which is definitely the case here.”
Tapping Into Nostalgia
In his definitive book on the subject, This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, McGill University neuroscientist Daniel Levitin explored in detail why catchy jingles stick in our heads and why the songs we loved in our teenage years stay with us forever. “That might explain why we hear a lot of 80s songs in today’s advertising,” posits François Lachance. “These songs appeal to the nostalgia of Gen Xers, but they can also appeal to a wider audience because they sound retro-cool to members of Gen Z.”
Among the hundreds of projects Music Rights Clearance has worked on, François Lachance also cites a 2023 spot for Canadian tissue paper manufacturer Kruger created by Toronto agency Broken Heart Love Affair. Sung in a female voice, this cover of INXS’ smash hit Never Tear Us Apart takes on a universal feeling, somehow more uplifting when paired with the ad’s visuals than the original. “That one also taps into 80s nostalgia, but the song takes on a different meaning, which is what makes it so powerful.”